A Walkthrough of Podcasts in iOS 11

Podcasts in iOS 11 has given a minor makeover. This revision includes some improvements, some apparent steps backward, and an interface in line with the new iTunes app and Music player in the mobile operating system.

Podcasts in iOS 11 takes a pretty big hit in some ways, making me wonder if Apple is asleep at the wheel when it comes to the form of media the tech giant arguably introduced us to

The Major Differences in Podcasts in iOS 11

The app for podcasts in iOS 11, aptly named “Podcasts,” is keeping in line with an interface similar to Apple Music. Cupertino has removed one very useful feature, though, and that’s a real shame. When an episode ends, the Podcasts app no longer begins playing the next one automatically. Instead, you have to build your own playlist by long- or 3D Touch-pressing an episode and then choosing “Play Next” or “Play Later.” This makes binging on podcast episodes a bit more challenging in iOS 11.

The location for adding a Podcast in iOS 11 by web page address has also been further obscured. To get to it, you’ll have to go to your Library, tap on Edit, and then find the button to add by URL.

Let’s walk through the new Podcasts app, so you know what to expect when iOS 11 releases in the coming days.

Cupertino has removed one very useful feature, though, and that’s a real shame. When an episode ends, the Podcasts app no longer begins playing the next one automatically.

I personally disliked the autoplay next in the list. I usually choose my podcast by the amount of playtime, mostly to fit my exercise routine. So I might want a 45 minute podcast plus a 15 minute one, or two 30 minute ones. Also I will choose a podcast by subject matter and or podcaster, maybe with a deep one first followed by something lighter.

In iOS 11 podcast playlists that you’ve created on your Mac in iTunes are not supported in the Podcast app. This is a deal-breaker for me. I hope Apple gets around to rethinking this. Having to manually select every podcast that I play is a major pain especially when the list of podcast episodes that iOS 11 displays is lettered with, no dominated by old, “in the cloud”, episodes that I’ve already listened to and I don’t understand why the Podcast app is even displaying them.

I, too, am disappointed with some of the changes. It would have been nice if they had given an on/off feature to autoplay. I also find it very confusing the way things are listed now-still unclear as to what exactly is listen now verses episodes in the library. I am afraid I may have to look for an alternative as I found it much simpler to view a list of current podcasts that were simply deleted once they were played.

Currently I am using a workaround that works, but it is a real PITA.
The Podcast app has a feature it calls “The Queue”. Sitting in front of my Mac with iTunes open to the podcast playlist that iOS 11 no longer supports, I tell the Podcast app on my iPod to play the first podcast episode from that playlist. Then I pause it. Next I pick the second episode from that playlist on the iPod, then touch these three dots on the right which gives me the option to have that episode “play later”. I then get a briefly appearing window that says “added to the queue”. I continue on until I’m satisfied I have filled the queue enough to accommodate a couple of days worth of listening. Then, when I’m ready I play that first episode which continues from where I paused it and all the episodes I queued up play continuously until the last one.
There doesn’t seem to be a way to access this queue directly, so you never get to look at the list and where you are in that list other than what is playing. This queue does, however remain in effect, so to speak, across activities like turning the iPod off, synching with iTunes. exiting the podcast app or a period of playing music.
Hope this helps and I hope I don’t have to continue doing this much longer; it can take 20-30 minutes for me and thats too long to have to mimic what used to be automatic. Sorry for the length of this post too.

What happened to the selection as to how long you wanted to play podcasts for 15 minutes 30 minutes till the end of the current podcast, this was great fro using to fall asleep. The change is very confusing. What is the + sign after some podcasts you can’t ever get rid of these podcasts even if you try to delete them.